


Downfall

by scarletladyy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Captivity, Gen, Imperius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-08 06:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1129238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletladyy/pseuds/scarletladyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captured by the Death Eaters, Hermione soon realises there is a high price to pay if she wants her freedom. The only problem is, she's not exactly sure what that price entails.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Downfall

**Author's Note:**

> Written for hp_darkarts' 2013 In The Shadow of the Season. Thanks to flyingharmony for the beta work.

"Do you know what this is, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded. The serum was perfectly clear and colourless, and under the circumstances, it could only be Veritaserum. She tried to keep her breathing even; she didn't want Lucius to know she was afraid.

"I thought you would." Lucius circled the small wooden table she was sat at, stopping to stand directly behind her. She didn't like him being so close to her, and she definitely didn't like not being able to see what was going on. She tried to turn her head to see him, but his hands gently faced her forwards once more. His soft physical presence was at odds with his cold, menacing voice and the next move that she was sure involved forcing her to drink the truth serum. He leant forwards to whisper in her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. "You're a clever girl, Miss Granger. You always have been. In fact, that'll be your downfall once you stomach the contents of this vial. Ironic really, isn't it?"

Unsure of what she could possibly say to that, Hermione kept quiet. She pressed her eyes tightly shut and swallowed, only opening them again when she felt him stand upright and begin to move. He came round and sat in the chair opposite her. She looked him straight in the eye; she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was scared of him. Never before had she wished so hard that she'd studied Occlumency too. She was sure she could master it if given the opportunity, but it was such a rare gift that the Order just didn't have the resources to be able to teach her it.

"Are you afraid, Miss Granger?" He laughed mirthlessly as she fervently shook her head. "I do believe that to be a lie. You have all the tell-tale signs of fear—your pupils are dilated, your nostrils are flared slightly, you're constantly licking your lips in an effort to satiate your dry mouth, your muscles are unbelievably tense, and of course, you are doing a very poor job of trying to control your breathing."

_Bastard_. Hermione narrowed her eyes in an attempt to hide her apparently dilated pupils, hoping to prove that she still had some fight in her regardless of the signs her body was giving him. She knew perfectly well that anyone would be scared in this situation. Who wouldn't be anxious when locked, wandless and helpless, in a room with a very powerful Death Eater? Even if she managed to overcome Lucius—and that was near impossible given that she didn't have her wand and hadn't successfully learnt wandless magic yet—they were several floors underground, and the entire building was littered with Death Eaters. She'd have no chance of making it out alive. She half thought it was a miracle she hadn't broken down already, especially considering it was only a few days before Christmas; the idea of spending Christmas Day in a cell horrified her.

Lucius placed the vial on the table and pushed it towards her. "It would be in your best interests to drink that. If nothing else, it's likely to be the only liquid you'll be receiving all day, so if I were you, I'd drink it for that alone."

As true as that may be, Hermione had absolutely no intentions of voluntarily drinking it. If secrets were going to be spilled, they were going to have to be forced out of her. Somehow, she didn't think that would be a problem for a Death Eater like Lucius Malfoy. "I'm not drinking it."

"You will, Miss Granger, whether I have your consent or not. I promise you, it really will be easier for you if you do it yourself."

"I'm not drinking it," Hermione repeated.

"If you insist." Lucius smirked and pointed his wand straight at Hermione. If she thought it would have done any good, she would have run or tried to resist, because she was fairly sure she knew what was coming. Much as she wouldn't be able to beat Veritaserum, she didn't think she could throw off the Imperius curse either. "Imperio."

A warm, happy feeling overtook Hermione. She suddenly felt as though she had no care in the world, and couldn't possibly begin to imagine what had gotten her so scared only moments earlier. She relaxed into her chair and stared at Lucius with a dazed and dreamy look, watching and waiting until she could fulfil the orders that would increase her happiness.

"Drink the potion, Miss Granger."

_Of course_ , Hermione thought. She happily picked up the little vial in front of her and downed the drink without a second thought. It just felt right to do so. Resisting would have made her unhappy, and she didn't want to be unhappy. 

"Place the vial on the table."

Hermione did, but the second the vial hit the table's wooden surface, reality came screaming back to her. She looked at the vial in horror and realised exactly what she'd done. Without a moments thought, she placed two fingers into her mouth and forced them down the back of her throat, attempting to make herself sick. It was the only thing she could possibly think of doing in order to reverse her forced actions.

"I think not," said Lucius coldly, flicking his wand and causing her fingers to fly out of her mouth. He flicked it again and tied her hands to the back of her chair. "Now, I'll ask you again. Are you afraid, Miss Granger?"

"Yes."

"You should be."

It wasn't a question, so there was no need to give a reply.

"I've received information that tells me Harry Potter is not at Order Headquarters this Christmas. Where is he residing?"

"Shell Cottage."

"Why?"

"Kingsley thought it would be more inconspicuous than Headquarters or the Burrow."

Lucius smiled. "Who else is with him?"

"Ron, Bill and Fleur."

"Were you going to go too?"

"Yes."

"What a shame," said Lucius insincerely. "Instead, you'll likely face Christmas and see the New Year in down in my dungeons. Where is Shell Cottage?"

It was Hermione's turn to smile now. "I can't tell you that."

"Fidelius Charm?"

Hermione nodded.

"Of course." Lucius' hands tightened, but that was the only sign he displayed of being annoyed. "Who is the Secret Keeper?"

"Bill Weasley."

"Tell me what you, Weasley and Potter are currently doing in your mission to destroy our Lord," said Lucius, clearly trying a different line of inquiry.

"We are hunting down and subsequently destroying Voldemort's horcruxes in order to eventually eliminate him." Hermione wanted to grasp her hands over her mouth to try and stop herself repeating such information, though she knew it would be futile even if she had the use of her hands.

"Have you found any?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Three".

Lucius' face contorted in what appeared to be anger for just a moment, but he managed to compose himself enough to continue the interrogation. "Have you destroyed any? How many?"

"Yes, and two."

"Do you know where the others are?"

Hermione had to think about that question for a moment. They had vague ideas, but nothing concrete. They couldn't be sure at all, so her answer was simple. "No."

Lucius wasn't fooled, though. He knew very well exactly how Veritaserum worked. "I'll rephrase the question. Do you have any ideas at all about where the others could be?"

"Yes."

"Where?" His voice was firm and cold; he was getting tired of having to drag each simple piece of information out of her. She knew she couldn't really fight it, but she could do her best with what she had to work with.

"We think there may be one hidden in Hogwarts, and perhaps Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. Harry's also considering Godric's Hollow to be a possibility."

Lucius smiled. It was a cold, mirthless smile that looked odd upon his face. It gave Hermione the creeps. "Good, good. You've done well, Miss Granger. I believe the serum should wear off in about twenty minutes or so."

"We're done?"

"For now." Lucius stood and went around the table, holding out his hand and seemingly expecting her to take it. "We have something very special planned for you, Miss Granger. Something very special indeed."

Hermione really didn't like the sound of that, and she made a point of letting him know by refusing his help. She stood on her own and folded her arms tightly around herself as he gestured for her to follow him to the door. He unlocked it and pushed her gently through, into the waiting and very unfriendly arms of Macnair. He'd brought her to be interrogated by Lucius, and it seemed he'd stayed until Lucius was done with her.

"Thank you for your insightful information today, Miss Granger. I expect I'll be seeing you very soon," Lucius said as he closed the door behind him. She turned back to Macnair, who was baring his teeth at her.

"Come on, girl. I haven't got all day." Macnair grabbed her by the arm and hauled her down the corridor, into the dungeon and then into her assigned cell. She'd figured out early on that this floor, the one many floors underground, held interrogation rooms, torture chambers and cells. Thankfully, she hadn't been in any of the torture chambers yet, but she worried that Lucius might have planned one to feature in her very near future. "You still under the influence of Veritaserum?"

"Yes," she said coldly as he opened and shoved her into her cell. He was a lot more physical in his approach to her than Lucius had been. 

"For how long?"

"Twenty minutes or so."

Macnair's eyebrows raised in an expression Hermione could only describe as mischievous. "Is that so?" She was compelled to nod as he locked the cell and then leaned against it. She walked slowly backwards until she collided with the wall, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. He had a certain unpredictability about him that Lucius did not. "Well, I could have some fun here. You a virgin?"

"Yes." Hermione could feel her cheeks burn as she stared defiantly at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable he'd made her. Of course, her bright red face might be giving it away, but she could at least _try_.

"And do you—?"

"Macnair!" A voice Hermione didn't recognise shouted from just outside the dungeon. Macnair rolled his eyes and turned back to her, seemingly to ignore whoever wanted him, but then the dungeon door opened and a masked Death Eater appeared. "Get your arse back down to I4. Lucius wants a word."

"We'll finish this later," Macnair said snidely as he left, glaring at the Death Eater who'd called him. For a moment she worried this one might stay and ask her personal questions too, but he just looked at her for a long moment before following in Macnair's wake. 

Finally, she was alone again. She sat down on the cold floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to keep as warm as possible. It was cold enough normally with it being the middle of December, but it was downright nail-biting being so far underground. She placed her head on her knees and closed her eyes, hoping either to sleep or let her imagination run away with her. She was sure if she was Luna that would have been much easier; Hermione had never had a huge imagination herself, preferring cold, hard facts to a dream-world. 

Now, she'd give anything for a few hours locked away peacefully in her mind.

~

"Do you want to spend Christmas with your friends, Miss Granger?"

"Of course," Hermione replied snappily. She stared hard at the man in front of her, envying him for his freedom alone. He'd delightfully informed her only moments ago that there was a Christmas party in full swing upstairs, full of magical decorations and treats. Father Christmas was in attendance too, apparently, joined by his reindeer. ' _Something for the children_ ', Lucius had said. It made her sick to her stomach to think that there were children playing happily only a few floors up, oblivious to the horrors that were going on beneath them.

"What if I told you it were a possibility?"

"Is it?"

Lucius smiled and flicked an imaginary speck of dust off his beautifully tailored Slytherin green robes. "It could be, if you want it enough."

"I do."

"You'll have to do something for me first, though."

Obviously there was a catch involved. She wanted to go back to Harry and Ron so badly, but she was also hesitant to agree to do something for Lucius without knowing exactly what it was first. "What?"

"I need to you to sign this." Lucius placed a rolled up piece of parchment on the table in front of them. "I need your magical signature." He then took a quill out of a pocket and placed it carefully next to the parchment. "You may read it, if you feel it's necessary."

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She didn't know what he wanted her signature for, but she was definitely going to read every single word on that parchment. She snatched it up and opened it, reading it slowly so as to make sure she didn't miss anything important. "You want my consent to be able to perform procedures on me? Why? What procedures?"

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Classified?"

Lucius nodded. "If you so insist, I will inform you of everything afterwards. Then you can go back to Potter and Weasley. I'll even drop you off in Wales myself."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"That is also classified."

Hermione really didn't like the sound of that at all. 'Procedures' could mean absolutely anything. "Will I..." She faulted. Even the thought of having to ask such a question made her feel sick to her stomach. "Will I still be in tact afterwards? No mutilations, or anything like that?"

"No mutilations. You will look exactly as you do right now. Surely a few simple procedures are worth your freedom?"

_If only it was that simple_. "What happens if I refuse?"

"Then you will be of no more use to us other than as bait to Potter. With the Dark Lord's link to the boy, he could see your suffering as clear as if he were in the room with you. And, of course, as soon as he is captured, you will be disposed of."

_Suffering..._ That could only allude to the torture chambers she'd heard the horrific screams coming from; the rooms she knew Macnair revelled in. She really didn't want any part of that, and she was sure if Harry had to witness it too it'd break him. "If I sign and go through with it, and Harry is captured eventually anyway, who's to say you wouldn't dispose of me then?"

"If you sign, I can guarantee your freedom forever. Regardless of how many times you were caught, I could set you free."

It was tempting, very tempting. It really seemed like her only option if she were to survive. Whatever they were going to do to her, at least she'd have her freedom and be able to help Harry and Ron find the horcruxes again. If she didn't sign, she would be no use to anyone. "How do I know you'll definitely let me go?"

"I will sign the contract too, Miss Granger. As it states, neither of us can go back on our word once we've signed. You might also have noticed that even though you can learn the truth of what happened if you wish to, you will never be allowed to divulge the information to anyone else."

"I noticed that." She could feel Lucius' eyes on her as she skimmed the parchment again. She put it down on the table and grabbed the quill, hovering over where it indicated she should sign. It was no choice at all, really. Whatever the price to be paid, she had to pay it in order to get her freedom. Harry and Ron needed her, so she quickly signed the parchment before she could change her mind. She threw the quill down in front of her, but Lucius ignored her little act of defiance. He took the quill and parchment and signed it himself, then rolled it back up again.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I shall go back to my party now and come for you in the morning."

This time, with no Macnair waiting outside—presumably he and the rest of the Death Eaters were upstairs enjoying themselves—Lucius escorted her back to her cell himself.

"Once again, it was a pleasure."

The parting smirk he left her with made her wonder whether or not she'd made the right decision.

~

The waiting was the worst part. Hermione hardly slept at all that night simply because she was worrying about what she'd agreed to. What she associated with the word 'procedures' were all Muggle things—doctors and dentists, that kind of thing. They didn't have those in the wizarding world, so that gave her some comfort. At the very least, she'd be the same as she was before physically. Mentally, she couldn't say. She just hoped her thoughts, emotions and feelings wouldn't be changed.

When the dungeon door finally opened and Lucius stepped through—looking as pristine as ever, as though it were just another normal day for him—Hermione was starting to drift off out of sheer tiredness alone. The sight of Lucius was both a relief and a worry for her; a relief in that it would all be over soon and she wouldn't have to wait any longer, and a worry because she'd agreed to Lucius doing basically anything to her.

"Please follow me, Miss Granger," said Lucius as he unlocked the door and gestured for her to come through. He didn't grab her as Macnair did, just walked on to their destination and expected her to follow him. She did, because she had little other choice. Macnair was either too stupid to not realise that, or just liked manhandling people. She suspected it was a bit of both. They passed I4—the interrogation room Lucius always used with her—and the torture chambers, which was a huge load off her mind, and came to a stop at a white door at the end of the corridor. She'd never seen anyone enter or leave it before so she had no idea what was in it.

Upon entering the room, she realised it was not like any other she'd seen in this building. It had a more modern and clinical approach to it, and it reminded her of St Mungo's. Someone to her left cleared their throat, and Hermione's head snapped towards the sound. The man who made it was a Healer, dressed in full medical garb, and he indicated for her to get up onto the wooden table in the centre of the room. There was a smaller table next to it with a large cloth covering the contents. 

"Get up on the table, Miss Granger," said Lucius firmly. It was clear from his tone that he was not messing about; he expected her to obey. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then started towards the large table. She gripped it with shaking hands and hoisted herself up onto it, lying down as the Healer gestured her to. "I will be back to collect you afterwards. Make sure you do as you are told. You know where I am if you need me, Healer Necchi."

Hermione wanted to ask him not to go, beg or plead with him even, but she couldn't lower herself to beg Lucius Malfoy for anything. She was ashamed of herself that she wanted— _needed_ —his comfort, but at least she knew his game. She didn't know this Healer, had never met him before, and had absolutely no idea what he was going to do to her. He was a formidable man; tall and lean, with a pointed face and a sharp nose. His eyes seemed to be permanently narrowed, and he gave out an air of irritation to match them.

Healer Necchi lifted the cloth a little and took out a small circular container. It was filled three-quarters full with an odourless, purple potion, but one Hermione had never seen before. He held it out to her and she hesitated before taking it. "Drink it. It will knock you out."

Nervously, Hermione sat up a little so she could drink it. It tasted foul and she wanted to spit it out, but the look Healer Necchi gave her when he snatched the cup out of her hands told her that that wouldn't be tolerated. No doubt he'd only force her to drink another container full and she'd have to suffer the taste even longer. She lay back down on the table again and allowed her eyes to dart around the room, taking everything in. It was fairly bare except for the two tables and the Healer, but the white walls and bright candle lights were unnerving. Her eyes started to drift closed and she felt tiredness encroach upon her. She tried to keep them open if only to know what was going on, but it was getting harder and harder to open them again.

Eventually, she was forced to allow the blackness to claim her.

~

"It was a success?"

"My tests believe it to be so, yes."

"Did she give you any trouble?"

"No."

The voices were loud and heavy as Hermione groggily woke up. She felt fuzzy and her head was clouded, and when she opened her eyes they were blurry. She could make out two shapes at the end of the table, but she couldn't tell who they were. She attempted to sit up, but she didn't get very far and fell back down onto the table again.

"Take it easy, Miss Granger. Your body has been through an awful lot."

That voice... she knew that voice. _Lucius!_ And what was he saying about her body? She wanted to know what he was talking about, but it seemed as though her brain had stopped working and she couldn't put two and two together. She was still tired and her body was clearly exhausted, and it simply seemed easier to give in when her eyes began to close once more.

~

There were no voices the second time Hermione woke up, but she was a lot less muddled and confused than she had been before. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, until her vision became almost crystal clear. She looked around and noticed she was back in her cell, and in the corner was Lucius in a very cosy looking armchair. Her little wooden stool was missing, so he must have transfigured it into something more suitable for him.

"Give it a moment or so before you try to sit up."

Everything came back to her—the interrogation, the Veritaserum, Macnair and his creepy questions, signing the parchment and making a deal with Lucius, the Healer and then waking up completely groggy. Now she felt fine, absolutely fine, which troubled her even more. She looked down at her body to see if she could see anything different, but she couldn't. Well, Lucius had at least kept his word when he said that physically, she would remain unchanged. She slowly sat up and stared at Lucius, waiting for him to fill her in on what exactly had been done to her.

"I suppose you want to know what happened."

"Y-yes."

"Are you sure?" Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Once you know, you can't go back. Wouldn't you prefer to live in darkness? You could go your whole life believing yourself to be the same."

"I would be living a lie."

"Very well." Lucius stood and came over to her, leaning against the wall next to her small wooden cot. "There have been some adjustments made to you. All your thoughts, feelings and any new knowledge will be relayed straight back to us by a magical object implanted in your body. Your every move will also be tracked; we will know where you are at all times. The implant should never give you any trouble; you will never notice it, and perhaps in time, will forget about it entirely."

Hermione felt sick, really sick. It was no freedom at all, then. If she went back to Harry and Ron, she'd be giving their destination away, and the Death Eaters would know exactly where they were going. They'd know when the next Horcruxes were found or if any were destroyed, and they'd also know about any plans the trio came up with. Worst of all, she remembered how she couldn't tell anyone about this either. Anyone who talked to her wouldn't have a clue what danger they were in, what risk they were putting them all in just by bringing her up to speed. And for Lucius to believe she could forget about it in time... no, she would never forget. It would be on her mind constantly.

"Are you still glad you know?"

"Yes." It was better to know than not—that she was decided on. What was still up in the air was whether or not she could go back to Shell Cottage, or the Burrow, or any of the other Order safehouses. If she ever wanted to see her friends again, she'd be putting them all in danger. Would her intelligence in helping them find the Horcruxes outweigh the fact that she was giving the information to the Dark Lord too?

"I'm sure you have a lot to think about," Lucius said slyly. "I'll give you a few hours to sort out the thoughts in your head, and then drop you in Cardiff so you can make your way to spend Christmas with your friends. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

It was. In fact, she _still_ wanted it. But she didn't know if she could have it. Whatever happened, this Christmas wasn't going to be pleasant at all. Either she was with her friends and knowingly helping the Death Eaters, or she was all alone and forced to survive in the Muggle world with no money, no ties and relatively little knowledge of it any more.

Lucius' choice to her was really no choice at all, and he knew it. The smirk on his face as he left was so large it made Hermione want to smack it right off. She had her freedom all right, but the price she'd paid was higher than she could have ever known. The decision she made next would be the biggest of her life, and would affect many other lives, too. She had to get it right, but whether that was even possible now was another matter entirely.


End file.
